Commissioners think he might owe county money from past overpayments.

Commissioners think he might owe county money from past overpayments.

Rick Hunt, saying he never offered to work for free, has submitted a bill to the county for $3,062 for work related to the recent primary election. County officials are considering what to do about the bill, after an earlier letter from Hunt indicated he would work without regard for "whether I will receive any remuneration at all.'' The county commissioners and Election Board interpreted that to mean he would work for free. Furthermore, commissioners are exploring the possibility that Hunt might have been overpaid by up to $15,000. If so, they might seek repayment by him, according to Cindy Bodle, commissioners president. And the prosecutor's staff is continuing to sort through documents and computer records from Hunt's former job in the county treasurer's office to see whether there is any evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Hunt, who has been a fixture in local government since the early 1970s, declined to comment on the latest developments. He said he is in the process of hiring an attorney. For the past 24 years, Hunt was the county's investment officer in the treasurer's office. Treasurer Sean Coleman suspended Hunt from his job on Feb. 28 after Hunt allegedly had unauthorized communication with a local bank. The county's Board of Finance was on the verge of meeting to consider whether to fire him when Hunt decided to retire. The retirement halted the finance board's inquiry, but not the broader inquiry by the county prosecutor. Prosecutor Michael Dvorak declined to comment on what specifically his investigators are looking for. Hunt's Election Board duties were done on a contractual basis. He has continued to insist he did that work on his own time. The county commissioners had approved the contract, at a rate of $15 an hour, in the late 1990s. But at some point, Hunt started charging $25 an hour, and this year he raised the rate to $26 an hour, without any apparent approval of the pay raises. Commissioner Steve Ross, D-2nd District, looked through Hunt's payment vouchers for the past three years to calculate how much he should have been paid at the $15 rate and how much he actually was paid at the $25 and $26 rates. That's how he figured the overpayment was about $15,000. The Election Board decided to terminate Hunt's contract after the May 2 primary election. While the board discussed what to do about the discrepancy in pay, Hunt submitted a letter on April 12 in which he appeared to offer to complete the election work without pay. But on May 1, he submitted a bill for his work, for $3,062. A letter accompanying the bill says his April 12 letter "was never an offer to 'work for free,' or on a voluntary basis.'' He noted in the letter that his contract with the county contains a 30-day cancellation notice, which meant Hunt's contract would not expire until May 12. He said he completed his election duties, so he is asking the commissioners to honor the contract by paying him. County attorney Anthony Zappia said he is advising the commissioners not to do anything with Hunt's bill until the prosecutor finishes his criminal investigation. Dvorak said that might take at least two more weeks. Hunt said in a telephone call earlier this week that he is seeking other work because he is without income. He said he is not receiving a pension, because "like an idiot'' he never signed on to the Public Employees Retirement Fund when he had an opportunity to do so in the 1970s. He is 59 years old, he said, which is too young to qualify for Social Security. Nancy J. Sulok's columns appear on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. You can reach her at nsulok@sbtinfo.com, or by writing c/o South Bend Tribune, 225 W. Colfax Ave., South Bend, IN 46626, telephone (574) 235-6234.